With rain threatening and temperatures hovering in the low 40s, the 2010 Bike to Work Day in the Seattle area on Friday was a real test of road warrior commitment for bike commuters.

The tally at the Bellevue Commuter Station, one of 44 set up by the Cascade Bicycle Club throughout the Puget Sound region, was off compared to previous years. Early indications show numbers were down throughout the region.

Still, a steady stream of good-natured bicyclists making the commute over the Lake Washington bridges between Bellevue and Seattle stopped to pick up water bottles, energy bars and other hand-outs. For many, rain and cold mean nothing when bicycling to work.

Based on the rate of cyclists passing through early on...   more »

The Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic sold out earlier than ever this year -- on April 16 -- catching off guard some folks who wanted to make the 200-mile ride.

The Cascade Bicycle Club has announced two ways that interested bicyclists can earn a spot in the July 17-18 event. One takes extra money. The other takes some extra time.

The club announced Wednesday that it's putting 10 registrations up for auction on eBay ....   more »

For the third year in a row, the League of American Bicyclists has ranked Washington state at the top of its list of Bicycle Friendly States.

That's quite an honor for bicycle advocates and state officials in the Emerald State, which has led the list ever since it was conceived in 2008.

Wisconsin and Maine follow in 2nd and 3rd place, according to the rankings announced Wednesday. Oregon dropped for the first time from 4th to 5th, supplanted by Minnesota.

Alabama held a firm grip on last place for the second year in a row. Other bottom feeders were New Mexico (46), West Virginia (47), Montana (48) and North Dakota (49). ......   more »

A couple of question and answer sessions regarding Seattle bicycling in general and a bike lane project in Bellevue are on tap this week.

The Stranger online website is hosting a Bike Q&A at Questionland in response to Bike to Work Week. The panel of experts includes reps from Mobius Cycle, Cascade Bicycle Club (David Hiller), and Bike Works (Qamuuqin Maxwell) and bike advocate Bryan McClellan.

Some of the questions they've tackled so far ...   more »

In spite of objections from some users, a east-west street in Seattle will be undergoing a road diet this summer.

Seattle's bike-riding mayor, Michael McGinn, said the re-striping of West Nickerson Street should encourage bicycling and walking and slow down speeding motorists.

Currently the mile-long section of Nickerson between Warren Avenue and 13th Avenue West is a four-lane street with on-street parking. It will be reduced to two traffic lanes in each direction with a center turn lane. A bicycle lane will be added on up uphill portions, and sharrows on the downhill portions. The on-street curb parking will remain.

It's similar to street rechannelizations ....   more »

A section of the Sammamish River Trail in Redmond will be closed until Friday, May 14, while work crews repair a 200-foot section.

Access by bicycle riders and walkers will be shut down between Northeast Marymoor Way (the western access to the park) and Leary Way.

King County suggests that bicyclists find alternate access to the section of trail north of Leary Way as there's no detour through the work area.....   more »